Saint Louis Cathedral has been closed since the beginning of May 2023. Father Jean Maurice Labour, the Cathedral’s administrator, said: “We took the decision to close the church in the public interest, as the ceiling of some of the wooden planks had started to fall and rainwater was seeping in. This represented a real danger and could even have caused loss of life.”
The building’s deteriorating condition began in 2018. There is some rainwater infiltration in several places on the walls inside the church, which are becoming more and more concerned by the years.
From May to June 25, the Diocese of Port louis made pre-selections and selections of contractors.
The company chosen for the scaffolding delivered the worksite on Thursday June 29, 2023. On June 30, work began on repairing the damaged ceiling, gutters, roof, electrical work and painting. According to the contract, the site will be delivered on July 20, 2023.
The invoice amounts to Rs 828,561.84. To date, the parish will only be able to finance part of this work. This is why the diocese is appealing to the generosity/solidarity of Mauritians.
The reason for the urgent completion of the renovation is that the new bishop, Monseigneur Jean-Michaël Durhône, who will be ordained bishop of Port-Louis on August 20, is due to take up the seat reserved for the bishop in the cathedral church, known as the cathedra. The diocese is also preparing to celebrate the patron saint of our cathedral and city, Saint Louis, on August 25, 2023.
